Saturno: Crimson Waltz
by The Varajan
Summary: Four years after the war a new threat emerges, one more sinister and bloody than they could imagine. In the Coliseum, under the guise of slaves, they must fight for their lives for the chance to stop Ara, Saturno's mother, from tearing the world asunder.
1. Four Years

**Looking forward to new readers as well as the old ones, I hope you enjoy this sequel to Saturno: A Traitor's Heart. And as always….here's a cookie!**

**Four Years Later**

She was dreaming the same dream that had caused her so much ill sleep. The sleep of a broken heart that never mended. The same dream that had woken her up time and again from her bed screaming his name.

It had been four years, but she remembered it like it had happened the day before.

His father's broken body, the nod from his teacher in response to his own.

Then the horn...

And then, the screaming….

The screeching of the dragons…

The attack of the armies on the Fire Nation Palace….

It was utter hell….

Her vision was shadows, she could see the varajans, rushing around her like water. Butchering the soldiers and the people of the city caught outside their homes, without discrimination, the heat of the fires, the screaming. Oh yes, the screaming was the worst part. Screams of pure terror, of utter agony, screams of the damned.

Oh yes, the screaming, the sounds. Toph could see everything around her even the things in the sky, clearly for the first time. Clearer than she ever had before, she saw everything. But not what she would have liked. The dragons, swooping down with their otherworldly roaring, it sounded like a dying animal that was enraged.

The smell, of blood, of fire, of pain…..

She was swept up, by the charging army, she was ushered by its soldiers to wherever it was going. She didn't know where, but it was always a feeling she had she knew how it was all going to end. It happened every dream, she relived it like the first time, every time, it was just as terrifying, just as painful, just as black.

She was separated from the gang. The people around her, guided her somewhat haphazardly to the palace. The varajans tore through the formation and slaughtered the demoralized soldiers like lambs.

The gigantic Elephossus swung their massive tusks and tore battlements apart, goring and swatting away those foolish enough to get in their way.

The horses, rode down the people trying to escape….

The scarab-like Arkanic trapped the people in the city through alleys then tore them to shreds. Their riders, gleefully wielding their scimitars with precision as they went about their work, butchering the trapped.

She didn't know how, but she had found herself in the throne room where Azula and her father were. Aang was there too, she never figured out how amidst the entire battle he managed to find them in the bunker passage ways.

Probably through the trail of mangled bodies…

Then, there he was…

He stood like an unstoppable juggernaught, a thick gloss of blood burnished his armor. His greatsword, just as gory.

Ozai, he didn't even try to negotiate, he had accepted his defeat, but even then, Toph knew he had no idea of what was waiting for him. Truth be told, neither did she in its full scope.

His fate, was far worse than death…..

Afterall, four years since the Day of Black Sun, he was still alive…

The things the varajans did to him…

She knew she was better off not knowing….

The whole dream wailed, screamed and danced its macabre form in her head. Her heart fluttered and contracted, she began to sweat profusely. Every inch of her was purring in distress. She felt cold.

Her heart accelerated, the shadows danced in her mind, she squirmed, her mind spun and spun and spun, then she saw him.

_Saturno_

"No!" she screamed out.

She gasped and breathed deeply, reflexively dropping her breathing rate from hyperventilating.

The bed was soaked with sweat, she wiped her brow, the sweat, it was cold.

Toph shuddered, the dream's grip receding from her mind. The fresh jolt of adrenaline in her body began to ease. And as it did, Toph began to feel just how exhausted she was.

This dream, _the dream_, it came every now and again, but the mere thought of it made her lose sleep.

She shifted her mind as best she could. Trying to remember the better things that had happened to her in the past four years…

When she returned to her family, Aang and Katara's sixteenth birthday. Her sixteenth birthday, the first time Sokka and she kissed.

She smiled inwardly, Sokka was her boyfriend, _the_ boyfriend, she could by law marry him. But neither of them were too eager for it, they did love each other but there was something that felt weird about marriage. It was besides the fact they were still young, it was something else entirely.

Perhaps it was that they were not each other's first choices…

Suki had never turned up from the Fire Nation prisons, or the camps either. The nation had been thrown into such a state of chaos that many people went missing, others came back, others died. Many a loved one's fates were uncertain. Toph knew that Sokka always jumped when he received a letter, thinking that it was from Suki telling him she had returned home and that she was fine, and that she could not wait to see him again.

She was dead most likely….

There were a lot of things still to be accounted for. The Fire Nation was responsible for that. Having lost its head so quickly, it dismembered itself as new warring kingdoms took their place, all, miniature tyrants looking to stake their claim to lands and power.

Only frightened of one thing…

The 13th and 9th Legions assimilated, and came to be known as The Black Legion, the single most terrifying army in the western world. They kept order in the lands and made sure the readjustment from the war came smoothly.

Their Black Ships, were an unsettling, but familiar sight on the horizon. The only challenge to their power came with a regiment of the Fire Nation Royal Army refusing to free an Earth Kingdom city they had still hold of. Those who deserted were spared. When the varajans took the rest, they crucified them in every major city of the Fire Nation.

No one dared to cross them. Not after what they had done….

And as for Saturno, no one knew what had happened to him. After the day of Black Sun, his generals and lieutenants had split up and crushed all opposition from the Fire Nation. The Soldadus himself had disappeared.

Some thought he had died, others that he returned to Varajo, no one knew for certain….

That was what had especially hurt Toph. It was half and half, she didn't say goodbye to him. She was taken by the gang away from the Fire Nation, because of the things they had seen. They had had enough. But in truth, she had never sought him out to say goodbye. She knew to where she could send a letter to talk to him. But for four years, she hadn't.

She was more than certain, wherever he was, that he had no idea where she lived. Then again, he could have found out, but she never received a single letter from him…

At any rate, the norm was settled…

Let the varajans deal with the Fire Lord and his people, the westerners had no desire to go back there and see what those outlanders would do next, what new form of cruelty would be spawned from their madness.

But regardless of shut ears, news came every month…

Every month the varajans crushed some new rebellion and set new rules. The seemed intent on making the Fire Nation pay for its tyranny, which was strange, they hated them as if they themselves had suffered by their hand.

In truth, no one cared anymore, one hundred years of war had ended. Everyone could breath and sleep and live in peace now. And the varajans were making sure the Fire Nation was getting what it had earned. However, the gang, and certain other notables were concerned about the varajan methods.

But, the Fire Nation, it had earned it…

They deserved it didn't they?...

That was something they had asked themselves many times, but at this point, it was irrelevant.

What's done is done….

The varajans placed certain governors and kept the Fire Nation Kingdoms separate and weak. They didn't fear them of course, but it was a much more efficient system to control an area than to crucify an entire nation. And of course, they were allied with Fire Lord Zuko and Queen Mai, they had of course been denied their rightful claim to the throne as Zuko was a traitor and a banished prince. Regardless, he had a kingdom and subjects over whom he had to rule over.

He did however, resent the outlanders for what they had done. His father had to fall, and they achieved that, but they were invaders. How could he not resent and attempt to ease their rulings and harsh punishments.

They were under the sword of a people nearly ten thousand miles away, in another kingdom.

The varajans took a great southern part of the Earth Kingdom as their new western nation. A kingdom, named Dragadros. After its founding by Saturno, he named Aksavit queen and Mouth its Steward.

Then as the story goes, he went back through the Bakrian Ocean and disappeared. No one knew what had become of him. He became something of a legend. A legend that outweighed Aang's, after one hundred years without him, the world had adapted to life without the Avatar, but just when it was getting to accept him. The varajans came, and did his job for him. Much more efficiently, but brutally than Aang would have, no one complained though. When it came to war, the varajans did not mess around.

Saturno of course, had dethroned Ozai and defeated him, that was what everyone knew. And instead of cheering Aang's name, they cheered Saturno Aeleas…

Neither had ever spoken of it, but Aang resented what Saturno had done to no end. He had cheated Aang of his purpose, of his mission.

That bloody war had taken or altered everyone in some way….they all just wanted to forget…

Toph leaned on her elbows for a moment, her mind in blank. She then placed both her hands on her face and then snaked them down to her knees.

Had it really been four years? She and the others had grown so much. She could look eye to eye with Katara now, who was no slouch; she had several boys after her. She was single, she and Aang never had hooked up, and things were in too much of disarray in the world and their nations needed time to find balance again.

And on that note, she remembered, Sokka and Aang and Katara were in her manor. And by the smell outside and the birds singing, it was just about dawn.

She smiled, it was time for a new day. The war was over, she and the gang could act like children and relax and play and sing for once.

She hopped out of bed and wrapped herself in her usual robes and bound her shoulder length hair in a pony tail. Ready to wake her brothers and sisters she happily jogged down the halls of her home, maybe she would give them all five more minutes, maybe.

It was time to wake up! It was a bright new day and the future was looking bright.

As she went down the hall, she unconsciously fingered Saturno's ring. A little token he had never asked her back for. Reluctant to admit it to anyone, even herself, she had to admit.

She missed him….

And on more than one occasion she asked herself….

Did he miss her?...

**Good prologue? I hoped you enjoy this story as much as I did! The sequel to Saturno: A Traitor's Heart! Here's a cookie!**


	2. The Scarlet Letter

**Mons and Womons! This is chapter two, I hope you enjoy it! Old readers welcome, if you don't know what this series is about then check out Saturno: A Traitor's Heart on fanfic. I promise; if you are an Avatar fan and you don't mind new adventures, you won't be disappointed. Here's a cookie!**

**The Scarlet Letter**

Toph had woken up the others with a nudge, all of them bleary eyed but happy followed her in line to the kitchen. The cooks and servants had woken hours ago to go about their daily chores and duties.

Toph sat them all down in the servant's eating area, a place she always liked because of the smells of spices and old wood. But most of all because of the windows and the swaying trees outside, the birds singing was nice too. And she could tell they appreciated it, the Bei Fong dining hall was a little much to have breakfast in. After all, they felt a little weird about it. Their houses were not exactly estates. In fact, it was just Katara's and Sokka's, Aang didn't have a home per se. The free meals and free housing of the Avatar had grown scarce as people mostly disregarded him as the varajans grew more prominent as the peacekeepers.

"So what would you all like today little masters?" asked the head majordomo, a man by the name of Shuu. "Tea" they all said in unison then grinned at the autonomy. Toph smiled, "And some dumplings, you know, the ones I like" said Toph amiably, she was in an unusually good mood despite it being early morning. "Right away Milady" said Shuu and paced away into the kitchen.

The gang was quiet, Toph didn't like it. It was always exciting to have them over to play and have fun. They could usually spend a week with her because of the scope and resources of her home. She was however a little lost in thought, she always half expected Saturno's ghost letter to arrive at this hour as the mail arrived always at dawn and at dusk.

There was always mail, but none for her. Save for the occasional noble boy writing to her, trying to court her. She, of course didn't bother getting a servant to read them, she just burned them. Her father however was open to such approaches, but gave her the due space of a hero of the Day of Black Sun. She had come back changed from that war, he understood she left of her own will, and that the Avatar had not kidnapped her, but was perplexed at how every single way he attempted 

to force her to do something she didn't want to, she'd let it slide over her head. He had to reason with her now. It's not like he could make her do anything anymore and he did love her at heart so he put up with her stubbornness.

It was like raising a different child….

Nothing like the obedient little doll he had once had….

Toph "looked" at the wall behind Katara. She knew it was time for the mail, but it was different this time, it either arrived by courier or by ostrich horse. But, those steps, they were from something she had only seen one place and belonging to one people.

Horse hooves, and by the quick nearly silent marching next to it, varajan Invictus, the robed assassins of the legion.

A gush of adrenaline shot through her body, the hair on the back of her head stood on end. She felt dizzy and grimaced at the direction of the wall.

"Toph, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost" asked Katara leaning towards Toph taking a good look at her face.

"Va-varajans" said Toph.

A silence descended upon the room. They were all knew what she knew, but no one dared to speak.

The silence was broken by the knocking on the gates of the estate which released them from the spell hat prevented them from moving. And not a second later they were all through and running to the courtyard.

As usual, Toph's mother and father were at the small table next to the pond drinking tea, enjoying the cool air of dawn. They all saw Shuu shuffle over to them as the knocking persisted with a sense of urgency.

"Who thinks they are so important they can come to my home unannounced?!" half shouted Lao, Toph's father with some irritation in his voice. Shuu bowed his head and said;

"Royal emissaries from the Queen"

As if remembering that Gao Ling was absorbed into Dragadros he stood up quickly and hurried to the door with Poppy, Toph's mother, in tow.

The small mob came to the door and found that the two guards gave way to the soldiers who insisted they could come in. Somehow, Lao's wrath seemed a lot less severe than crossing the men and women in the black featureless masks and segmented armor.

About four in number, they let themselves in and the rider on horseback followed them.

"Who among you is Toph Bei Fong?" asked the emissary clearly. Lao stepped next to his daughter protectively.

"What do you want with my daughter?" he asked, trying to seem as fearless as possible. He had heard somewhere that if you stare a varajan down they seem to calm down as you don't take to their intimidation.

The emissary, hopped off his mount with some urgency and slipped his hand into his satchel to produce a scarlet letter with them emblem of Saturno on it. Then again that was not special, any and all documents bore his spiral, the flag of Dragadros also bore it.

But the why was the letter scarlet?

"This letter is addressed to General Toph Bei Fong" said the man simply. When Lao reached out to snatch the letter which seemed to glow with bad news, the emissary snapped it back with a flick of his hand.

He stared at Toph, then shifted his gaze to Lao irritated.

"This letter is of the imperial decrees of the Royal Court. No one is allowed to read it, save the recipient. This letter is addressed to General Bei Fong, not you" said the emissary with a matter of fact tone.

"My daughter is blind and I am her father, the let-" said Lao before being interrupted again, the man shoved past him to Toph who stood still as the man offered her the letter.

"My queen, personally asked me to make sure this arrived to your hands unmolested" said the emissary.

"My dad is right, I am blind. It's just like Aksavit's black humor to write a letter to a blind girl" answered Toph with a slight smile trying to ease the tension. She still had fond memories of Aksavit.

"You know her well then" answered the emissary stating a fact of Aksavit's personality.

"What is the letter about?" she asked handing it back to him.

"A royal decree, nothing of a personal nature or so I've been told by Her Majesty" he answered.

"Read it to me" asked Toph as she crossed her arms attentively. The gang, quietly listening behind her tensed as the emissary opened the letter with care.

"Very well" answered the emissary clearing his throat.

_31__st__ Day of the month of Norda_

_Year 234__th__ of the Second Age_

_To those it concerns_

_By Royal Decree of the Crimson Court of the Sovereign Kingdom of Dragadros, this letter is addressed to Toph Bei Fong child of Lao and Poppy Bei Fong, veteran and general of the Coalition of Western Nations in the 100 Years War. This document asks the aforementioned person to report to Castle Dragadros in no less than three days for a mission Her Majesty Queen Aksavit has personally begun to recruit for. The nature of aforementioned mission is secret in nature and any dispersal of information that may endanger the mission will result with imprisonment, interrogation and detention for all involved parties indefinitely until the completion of said mission._

The emissary, cocked one eyebrow up as he read another segment. He couldn't help but smile as he continued on.

_Darius, I know you are reading this aloud to everyone by now. So you might as well read this. No don't look away or try to leave out any parts, or risk becoming a target of my mischief, sure as sure. _

Those who knew Aksavit, chuckled slightly but held it down.

_Now Toph, I know Aang, Sokka Katara and you are together at your marvelous manor this week and for said reason I've taken the liberty of drafting this letter to invite you all in one go. Four birds with one stone so to speak eh? Well, to the work at hand. There is an issue as dear Darius has been so kind to point out that needs of you and the gang. It is of paramount importance to your nations and….well….we'll speak when or if you decide to come help your queen who so happens to be an old friend. Who just so happens to have a lot of delicious sweets at her palace calling your names, I hope to not have to eat all of these myself sure as sure, last time I had quite the tummy ache. _

_But now I am getting off mark. Just do as your queen asks of you and you will be rewarded. Choose not to and I will be sad, you won't like me when I am sad. To cheer myself up I may just let my soldiers sneak in ten dozen ratpigs into your homes when you are all asleep._

_Such is the price of lollygagging when your queen asks something of you._

_So be curt and show up at my palace in three days time. He doesn't know I am planning this and I like to surprise my little brother. Besides, Saturno needs help, he is spread thin and I don't think he can trust anyone where he is. He must be awfully lonely, so if you want to help your old brother, my little brother, then do so by coming to Dragadros. _

_Remember…_

_Three Days…_

_Or I will send the help I've gathered and you won't get to help him at all. And then, the ratpigs will come, sure as sure._

_Queen Aksavit_

Everyone stood silent for a moment after the bizarre letter. But those familiar with the name jumped up with excitement. But then the excitement subsided as the years came back to them, with all of the according memories.

"The Queen is rather….eccentric" said Poppy.

"You have no idea" answered Darius as he regarded the gang obviously knowing who they all were by the letter.

"So what do you choose?" asked Darius quietly.

The gang looked amongst themselves and just when Lao was about to open his mouth and give one hundred and one reasons why Toph shouldn't go she half barked; "We're going to Dragadros".

The gang looked amongst itself and agreed, they all would have said yes. Saturno needed help, for all the things that had happened, he was still their friend and had saved them more than once, and having done what he did on the day of Black Sun, probably saved more lives than they knew.

They had to answer Aksavit's call, they owed him that much.

"One question" said Toph to Darius who was about to mount his horse again. He listened attentively to the earthbender.

"You were in the court right? Then you knew Saturno?" she asked.

Darius nodded, "Yes, we were comrades and got along rather well".

"Did he ever mention me?" she asked, feeling very small.

"Only once to me. But he spoke of you often to Aksavit" answered the varajan with a tone that hinted of resentment. Like that of the friend of the hurt friend.

"What did he say?" she asked, smelling an answer she was not going to like.

"You broke his heart, and what hurt him even more was that you never once answered his letters" answered Darius bitterly. Saturno and he were definitely close.

"What? He never sent me anything" she said fingering Saturno's ring getting a little agitated. Someone was lying and Darius was telling the truth.

"He sent you a dozen, I would have hoped you read the first one at least" he retorted.

"I never got anything! He never spoke to me again after the end of the war!" she said bitterly, but with renewed irritation.

"Well they all arrived at the manor, I personally delivered them. You father always got them, didn't he give them to you?" asked Darius shifting his dead brass gaze at Lao who seemed to be backed into a corner by his daughter and the varajan. Both of them, seemingly brooding in the same way with realization.

"Dad?" said Toph inching closer to him with clenched fists, the knuckles white. And her voice trembling with anger.

"Did you ever receive a letter from Saturno Aeleas Rakanus?" she asked, by the look on her older face hinting she was just a hair away from blasting him with boulder.

Lao's stomach was in a knot, he was in deep troubles, although he disdained the thought of his daughter in love with one of these, barbarians. The two things that as of late he had come to value was her trust and his word with her.

He didn't want to risk losing either.

"Yes" he whispered.

"And what did you do with them?" she asked, her voice trembling with very real anger.

"We began to burn them after the 10th, but they always seemed to keep coming. We only read those first ten" he said behind clenched teeth and defensive tone.

Toph sighed heavily and stomped her foot sending the fountain into the air and smashing it outside the manor after several seconds of airtime. She knew he liked that fountain.

Lao grimaced at the sound of the shattered art and swallowed hard. Then he remembered that there was one letter he had saved.

"But there was one letter we kept" he said.

Toph glanced at him trying to maintain her composure and said; "Give it to me when we are leaving" . As the gang followed after witnessing the little exchange and the massive lie walked a sensible distance from her not willing to invade her space knowing her temper.

Apparently they were heading to a new adventure.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Toph sat on Appa's saddle as the gang flew through the sky. Katara had the letter in her hands and looked at Toph.

"Read it Tara" she said as she leaned on the back of the saddle facing the sky behind them seemingly gazing out at the endless clouds.

Katara, took a deep breath. Everyone was quiet as she unfolded the toned paper of the worn letter.

_Toph_

_I understand we are young, I understand we still have our whole lives ahead of us. I understand that we are children. And in the one absolutely mad, wonderful, and eye opening year you have been in my life, you have opened my mind and my heart. Your presence in my life has cut me deeper than anything of this world. I've spent nights without sleep with only you on my mind, your smile, your voice, your kindness. Much like an addiction, I felt driven to bask, feed and satiate my need to be around you, to make you smile, to make you happy. I know not what could happen in the next twenty days to the next twenty years but I know only one thing for certain, I want to be with you and only you, I don't want anyone else. _

_What have I done to displease you?_

_What have I done to make you cast me from your life without so much as a letter?_

_Why won't you speak to me?_

_I speak the truth, there are those few people in the world with which one has what you and I have. In five days I've told you things I wouldn't have told my sisters. I trust you with my secrets, my fears, my loves, my joys, my life. Words betray what I feel for you: pure, uncompromising, unconditional love, not infatuation. _

_I love you, I love you, I love you. _

_You are my sun and my moon. You are in my soul, I can feel your hand around my heart always, even when you are not there. When you leave, I just want you to know that there is two of us in learning the nature of love. I know you do are afraid, so am I. And I know this, keeping what you and I have alive is possible. Letting what you and I have flourish and consume us both in heart, mind and soul is possible. To me, distance will not affect the way I feel about you. I adore you Toph, there are those few people with which one knows they could spend the rest of their lives with. And to me, you are one of them…_

_I am not asking you to marry me…._

_I am asking you, that if it is your will, and if you want to give it a try. Let's keep our little candle alive. Who knows what the future holds? We are shaped by life just as we shape it. I just want to be with you. You have opened my heart, and I hope, I've done the same with yours, and given you _

_the love, the trust, the adoration that you so rightfully deserve from all men who have the privilege to have been so close to you._

_Whatever you decide, whatever you feel, whatever happens. Never forget what an irrevocably, incontrovertibly, astoundingly, wonderful woman you are. And any man, be it myself or any other, lucky enough to have your friendship. Sure as sky to earth better count his fortunes and consider himself as such, as I have. _

_There are no words that would do you justice. There are no words that can accurately describe what a deity you are to me. What a genuinely marvelous person you are. And my lowly skills as a writer are shamefully inadequate for the task. _

_What have I done to make you hate me so much?_

_Please, tell me what is happening, I am incapable of sleeping soundly until I know of you._

_Please, say something, I beg you._

_I will make no assumptions and I will not pretend that this letter will make a happily ever after. But I do pretend that this letter will place in front of you, a choice._

_What is it you want?_

_Toph, you will have to ask yourself this question one day, and I will wait for that day no matter how long I must. After so long, and thinking them to be words of idiocy and dementia, I finally find myself struck by the nameless sweet disease, and understanding what these words mean…_

_If you love something, set it free…_

_Toph, you are free, you have never been otherwise. What you decide cannot hurt me, your will cannot hurt me, so long as what you decide what it is that makes you happy, and hold onto it. I will never hold you back, I want you to decide, one day soon or far off, what it is you want. What makes you happy, and not let anyone hold you back from it. But most of all, don't let yourself hold you back from happiness. Don't let fear, uncertainty or doubt hold you. Toph, you are safe with me, I will never take you for granted, I will never lie to you, I will never hurt you again Toph._

_I am not asking you to tell me you love me…_

_I am asking you that no matter what happens you will do the best you can. I want you to be happy, and if that cannot be with me, tell me how you can be happy and I will seek it out for you, and aid to you to achieve it in any way I can._

_No matter what happens, no matter if the sun never rises and the seas flood the world and we are driven insane. The one incontrovertible fact is that you will always be in my heart._

_Toph, with all my heart_

_I Love You_

_Please, say something…_

_Forever Yours_

_-Saturno Aeleas Rakanus_

Everyone was quiet, what could they possibly say after having heard that. Katara looked at Toph and tucked the letter away carefully. She knew the silence that had come over Toph, right now, she needed her space.

Two tears slinked down Toph's youthful face.

She could not breath…

The cold wind making her feel weightless, her mind wandered and relived four years of dissapointment and loneliness. And all because of the man closest to her.

Saturno was trying, or had. Did he still love her? Was he still waiting on a word?

Four years waiting for her word...

The realization of what had happened hit Toph like a mountain.

**How was that? Didja like it? This letter BTW was modeled largely from a letter I wrote to one of my ex girlfriends. We didn't work out, meh, but let's see if Saturno and Toph do. Here's to giving you all good enjoyable chapters! Here's a cookie!**


	3. Dragadros Land of Monsters

**Dragadros: Land of Monsters and Men**

Within three days as Aksavit promised, the gang and several other individuals set off towards the east through the Bakrian Ocean.

The meeting at the Crimson Court of the Kingdom of Dragadros was…..awe inspiring to say the least. They saw old faces, new ones, ones, they hoped never to see again, and some that they hadn't known what happened to them in a long time.

As the gang approached the city, or more like mountain city, they were struck by its beauty, and its unorthodox structure.

The city had been built in three interconnected canyons named the Triumvirate Valley. All valleys were nigh unreachable but by two bottlenecks connected to the outermost valleys, and one opening up by a massive crag in the mountain to the crescent bay behind it. The city was massive and divided into sections and different quarters; The Merchant's Square, The War Block, The Living Hive and The Plantations.

Each was a machine and a work of art in its own way.

The Merchant's Square was color coded by it's brown and tan buildings. Most of which squatted slightly and were adorned by few banners and designs of dragonfalcons carrying messages, these fat, and unassuming buildings were home to bankers, merchants, loaners, craftsmen, apothecaries and smiths. If anything was to be bought, it was there. The solid shingles of the smooth buildings was the color of brick and gave them a serious, business-like appeal.

The Living Hive looked nothing like the word insinuated. The buildings looked like a massive, organized sector of square houses built upon stairs, built upon square houses built into stairs and so on. A living maze for all who called Dragadros home. All of the buildings in that chapter were the color of sand, the color of the common folk. At night, the City Hive was alive with small torches and warm lights from the hearths inside the houses, people laughing, people eating and praying to their gods in small shrines.

These, were second in activity only to the Plantations. A single valley, which coincidentally was the most unreachable, was a living ecosystem. Beasts of burden, food animals, crops and the people who tended to them all lived there in a quiet harmony that was the polar opposite of the bustling, restless activity of the rest of the city.

The War Block was an entirely different place. Completely different of what one would expect. Picture a school in Varajan architecture, smooth but stalwart, color of red sand and the great sky blocked out by crimson drapes that covered all of the quarter giving all those who entered it the color of blood. Everything under the great tarps was the color of blood, hell to those who were not used to it. A familiar, calming place to those born of the war caste or those who reached it, this was where the new generations of soldiers were trained. Everyone of them, attuned to the ways of war, both boys, and girls in particular as was proper in the mainland of Varajo. After all, varajan society was matriarchal.

As the bison flew over the city by sunset and landed in what they presumed to be the palace because of the statues and the banners bearing Saturno's insignia, they were oddly enough, unescorted and un-minded, as if, they were expected to look around. And so they did, they walked for about an hour wandering in awe of the palace's only ring. The gardens that adorned it were spectacular to say the least, and everyone was draped in the bronze and brass colors of royalty just as Saturno had come to explain to them years ago.

The boys played with the girls whom were clearly the leaders of each little group of kids. All of them stared at the near adult foreigners with distrustful and un-approving stares.

It was not lost however on the gang that there was an oddly familiar face on the one statue right in front of the stairway to the sea. A giant statue in a suit of classical, nightmarish armor they had seen once, four years previous. In one arm and on his shoulders sat his massive sword, and in the other, a malicious lance that looked like an oversized cross aimed defiantly at the east; to Varajo.

The gang wandered to the statue, there was no inscription, only a series of symbols they couldn't read. They didn't need to, they knew who this person was, and knew everything he had ever done intimately.

They gang's silent and brief contemplation was broken by the approach of a small group of children, all dressed in the noble colors.

At first it was kind of weird, to have a small gang of eleven and twelve year olds glaring at you. It was only when the eldest of them, a young girl with an air of suspicion and responsibility to her stepped up to the tallest whom was Sokka and asked them in a heavily accented and well practiced speech laden with a tone of authority.

"What is it you want?"

"We were told to report here by Queen Aksavit, we received a scarlet letter" answered Sokka, his usually bright and good humor silent. And, of course, not questioning the varajan methods of treating strangers. Everything would be as it should, this is how they operated.

"Ah, I see, follow me outlanders" said the girl suddenly with a brighter tone, likely knowing who they were, and why they were here.

Funny though, the varajans were the foreigners but the gang were the outlanders here. The young girl in brass led them through the gardens and past the soldiers who glared at them suspiciously and into the main chambers.

The whole of the palace looked ancient and richly furnished with armor and statues of other heroes.

The girl and her gang walked quietly through the palace and pointed to the large, crimson door at the end of a very intimidating hall and left without another word.

The gang stood in the mouth of the chamber.

All of them were scared, but the smells of the food in the hall and the sound of music was inciting. And even without it, they were ready, they had a job to do, and someone to see again.

Toph especially was wary of what might have lied beyond that door, not that she couldn't see. But, it was all in there, and she was out here. Going in would take her somewhere she knew it was painful to go.

Somehow, it was almost like Saturno was there. But she didn't want to go in, but at the same time she did.

However she was the first one to move ahead and stride to the door putting on his ring on her thumb. And as was characteristic, recited in her head, her usual mantra "Face things head on".

"Let's do this" she said with her friends close on her heels as she pushed the doors a little too hard and they slammed into the walls upon which they were hinged.

Those doors were surprisingly light, and all faces locked onto them in an instant. Some smiled, others just stared neutrally.

The inside of the dinner hall was a mix of hell, and of a dream.

Everything was draped in shades of brass and gold and alabaster. And everyone at the table, they had known. Everyone at the table, had affected their lives in some way. Some for the better, some for the worst.

"My friends! Welcome!" said Aksavit dressed in a tight long sleeved tunic that accentuated her newly feminine physique and a long skirt that hid her lean, pale legs. She had her hair cut in a boyish fashion, it hung just under her jaw, her eyes, her strange, weir eyes locked onto them with a calculating and joyous look.

She was pleased….

Present at the long table were Azula, Zuko, Iroh, Mouth, Palla, Sofia, and a myriad of diplomats of every country, save the Nomads and the Fire Nation along with several traitor varajans of importance.

The air about the room was tense, for obvious reasons, the gang didn't sit down.

"Aksavit….what are **they** doing here?" asked Aang with disbelief flowing into his voice as he looked at the guests from the Fire Nation.

"**They** are here to help us Aang" she answered smiling and clapping her hands happily with her eyes closed. Likely remembering indeed why they were here, she was forgetful that way.

As the night went by, everyone was hesitant to speak, this was not coincidence. But perhaps Aksavit wanted it that way, she needed everyone's undivided attention. She told them, exactly what was going on, and why she needed them to help.

"And so, here we are enemies turned allies. But mark my words, what is to come will either make us all blood foes, or brothers" she said sitting at the head of the table sipping wine.

"And what is to come?" asked Iroh trying to break the silence.

"A war, a secret one" she answered.

"How can a war be a secret?" interjected Zuko.

"It was in Ba Sing Se when your people were still warring with the world, but in this case it will be waged with few numbers but it will be brutal I promise" she said taking a bite out of one of her sweets.

Something that everyone noticed was that he usually estranged, although finessed Aksavit was edgy and jumpy. She was excited most likely, she wasn't afraid of anything.

"And why should we get involved in something ten thousand miles away just for you?" asked Azula, hesitant to see Saturno again more than anything.

"Well, its not for me, you would be doing it for yourselves really, sure as sure" she said shooting a wink at Azula.

"What do you mean?"

"Well it is simple, you see, Saturno's mother, is a particularly nasty noble. She wants the varajan throne, and with this, she will launch and invasion of the western world" said Aksavit in a matter of fact tone.

A silence descended upon the room.

"What?"

Aksavit sipped her wine and looked at all the faces around her, she took a deep breath, slipping into empathy and understanding their confusion. She cleared her nose by breathing in sharply.

"Listen, lets take a good look at varajan history after Satty came along. Azula had introduced the varajan imperial element into the western world, and with this, she caught the attention of the wrong sort of people, sure as sure. Ara, Saturno's mother, is evil as some of you know" she finished shooting a look at Toph who was quietly listening, carefully reading her reactions.

"Ara, being the ways that she is, has worked her way up to high ends into royal palace, and unbeknownst to our great emperor, Ara means to kill her. Now the scary bit of this is, that she has the access and the power to achieve her goal which is the destruction and invasion of the Four Nations. Essentially, picking up where Ozai left off." She finished as she continued sucking her fingers of the sweet honey from her various morsels.

"But, as opposed to last time, if an invasion does indeed occur, you will all fail in stopping or even reversing it" she added, knowing, they wouldn't fight that assumption knowing what the varajan is capable of.

Everyone looked at her in disbelief, listening to her words, everyone present had trouble believing the queen. They weren't sure if she was just pulling their leg, or if she was actually serious. There was no real speech, no great oratory, just that. Ara wants the varajan throne to invade and destroy the Four Nations.

"I assume you have a plan, since you yourself convened this meeting Your Highness" said Iroh, more a statement than a question.

Aksavit shot him a sheepish smile, a smile of someone who remembered something funny and was feeling a little bashful.

"That I do, that I do sure as sure"

The young twenty four year old queen smiled and spoke softly.

Saturno had left to Varajo almost immediately after the end of the war in the west, and in his self imposed exile he spoke to old friends, old friends, from both the imperial and the traitorous side of the line. He was successful in completely infiltrating the outer rim arenas, sponsored by the same. And in doing so, he became, a gladiator.

The plan he and Aksavit had agreed upon was that he would continue to fight in the arenas, a place in which even the emperor didn't have absolute power. The mob was law in the coliseums, in the capital, and in that place, the emperor could not do just anything. The gladiators of Varajo were subject to grueling and brutal lives. Even worse ones than those of the Soldadus, if not completely identical, live to fight, fight to live. But those gladiators of great renown and skill, were invited to go through a special series of matches, ones that if the gladiator survived, would be pardoned and given their freedom by the emperor herself. And this was Saturno's plan, to meet the emperor and warn her of the danger, and if she shunned him, she could not kill him, not in there. No gladiator could be killed for any reason, should he remain victorious. It was the only viable hand Saturno could play.

And it was all thanks to the micro cosmos that was Colisea.

The spectators bore witness to the great spectacle of the arena, a great spectacle the likes of which the world in no other place has ever seen. Protected by a cusp of bending energy, from retribution from both the slave warriors and the creatures they fought, the spectators of Colisea could see battles of titanic proportions in the monumental battle ground. Battles of murderous odds and great beasts, and great creatures of myth, some were beautiful victories, and others, beautiful deaths.

Saturno was achieving the advancement through the outer rim gauntlet of arenas and was soon to be sent to the cities, and eventually to Colisea.

This, was when Aksavit smiled maliciously and changed her sunny tone.

She explained Saturno had become something of an obscure legend in both the West, and in Varajo, particularly in the latter. As far as things were known, Saturno died in the 100 years war by fighting and killing his father or disappeared mysteriously, he is by all means presumed dead, or forgotten. The books say that Aksavit alone took up the mantle of leadership in Dragadros, but only a few knew better.

The Soldadus had offered her the mantle, she accepted because it was a new adventure and she was excited about it. Truth was, although she was good at it, she was adverse to ruling a kingdom, she was too much of a free spirit to stay in court, Mouth however liked the managing of the little day to day affairs and was a creature of habit so he was not only Saturno's Steward and lieutenant, but also Steward of Dragadros.

Everyone at the table listened, but they didn't know what the point of retelling something that she had just explained.

"Aksavit" whispered Toph, who hadn't touched the food and hadn't said anything or spoken to anyone.

"Yes love?"

"…….Saturno…..is he ok?"

Aksavit looked at her quizzically then answered slowly and deliberately as if it was perfectly obvious.

"Yes, he is"

"I mean, has he changed?"

That, struck a cord in the queen, she smiled and her head twitched in excitement.

"That he has love, that he has"

The people present were completely lost, save for the two sisters Palla and Sofia, kin to Saturno.

Aksavit got up and finished her wine, "Tomorrow, we are leaving for Varajo, any questions, please stifle and keep to yourselves or each other until we see Satty again" .

"Oh, and one more thing, until we get to Varajo, keep any hostilities to yourselves as well, Dragadros is neutral ground and those who disobey me will suffer grievous consequences" she said shooting a good glare at Palla and Sofia and with that, she left.

Everyone left the tense table and walked off to their particular suites, guided by minor stewards, without another word.

* * *

As the gang were taken to their common room they were met by Palla and Sofia. Both stood quietly in front of the door and gestured the stewards to leave them. In the crimson halls of the palace, everything seemed to take on a ghastly coloring. Everyone and everything seemed to be drenched in thick gore and blood.

It was somehow an eerie omen of what could come to pass.

"Palla, Sofia is there something the matt-" started Aang before Sofia placed her hand on his mouth.

"Before you go, I think there is something you should know"

The gang looked amongst itself nervously. Obviously, this was something they were not going to like, and they had a feeling they knew what it was.

"Saturno has changed, for the worst"

"What do you mean? What's happened to him" interjected Toph letting go of Sokka's hand.

Sofia shrugged away.

"Saturno has become what our parents always wanted him to be. Be, careful" said Palla placing her hand on Sofia's shoulder.

The gang didn't know how to react. Palla and Sofia told them everything Saturno had done, and everything that had happened to him.

There were no real words to describe him. He had become a monster. And as opposed to last time, he had no issue with killing others, and actually enjoyed the knife-work.

No one slept at ease that night, especially Toph.

And for the month at sea, through impenetrable fog and capricious waters, she would not sleep or think of anything else, but him.

* * *

There was a small, sandy arena in a mountain city under a starry and cool night devoid of any breeze or zephyrs.

A group of mercenaries stood silently in the middle of the arena. There had been an edict that whomever could slay Aeleas, the traitor of legend, they would receive an obscene amount of money. When the leader had seen the sheer amount he nearly chocked.

All that, for just one man?

He rushed to the matchmaker and quickly accepted the offer. By the time it was over they would be insanely rich and set for life.

This would be very simple.

The boss winked at his comrades; an archer, a lancer and a swordsman, they all knew what to do, and they could do it well.

The crowd was silent, they could see the black shapes of the gladiators in contrast with the immaculate white sand, no torches were needed, the moon provided all the light they would need to see every exquisite detail, every expression, every gesture.

They formed a circle and looked at the gates, they were all closed, real gladiators huddled near the barred doors of the same, some kneeling, others slightly crouched and the others standing. They were eager to watch. But what struck the leader as odd was that the speaker announced the nature of the battle but no gates opened, he just sat down as the rest of the crowd was and was watching intently.

"A band of intrepid adventurers have come to claim the bounty upon the head of the King of Traitors, and end, his reign of terror, will they be the ones to do it? Let us find out in today's final, brutal, match!"

But afterwards, nothing, no movement from any direction.

The Lancer was spooked however, he was the superstitious sort and was fearful of Aeleas and his legend. But the man was just that, an old tale to scare children and men.

The leader scoffed; Aeleas real and in the flesh, what a joke.

The crowd silently awaited the moment in which the battle would start, and only a few of them saw him.

A shape in armor was hanging from the tarp roof well beyond the reach of any guard, and well in it's reach to escape the brutal arenas. But as it had done countless other times since its mysterious appearance, it descended into the battle.

The shape let go of the rafters and dropped down to arena. It was only at that last instant that the archer saw it dropping down on him, but it didn't drop in the way he thought he would. The thing didn't crush him, it just slashed open his abdomen from the back inwards with the tip of its boot.

A brutal sexless shriek of pure agony filled the ears of everyone in the arena and all eyes saw him standing over the twitching, screaming body of the archer with one leg digging into his side.

The leader then and there lost his nerve.

What stood towering before them was a warrior in nightmarish armor. The creature's slender but prodigious body was covered in nicks and scars across its amor and on its edges it had proclamations of victory. The faceplate of the amor was macabre in the extreme. it seemed to be in a hateful scowl as it gazed at them with brass eyes and an expression of pure malice.

"In the name of the Gods, what is that?!" yelled the lancer half dead with terror.

The man creature lowered its chin looking at them, it's scowl seemed to turn into a wry grin, a smile of an insanely evil monstrosity. The being reeked of it, of lack of compassion, empathy, or mercy; the leader understood then and there, they were going to die.

The swordsman was the first to go, he tried to attack the monster only for the creature to latch onto his swords, twist them out his hands and nail one into his heart. The other went flying into the lancer's screaming face. The creature grabbed onto the broken leader, an expression of incomprehensible terror on his face and swung him by his leg into one of the pikes on the lip of the arena.

As the monster strode past the twitching archer who was nearly dead of blood loss, the man looked up the raptor legs and at him.

The man, before he died, had a feeling. The feeling one has when they know they are looking at someone who is going to be really important one day, or someone one knows is going to write history.

And with that, the archer died, in pain but wondering if this was the real thing.

Was this the real Aeleas?

It could have been.

Legends have a habit of being true.

Just like that merciful Soldadus who had spared him all those years back in Lasrage……what had been his name?

The archer, couldn't remember, and he supposed, it was perhaps a moot point asking himself that when he noticed the spiral symbol on the hilt of the monster's swords.

Oh yeah; Saturno Aeleas Rakanus…..his name wasn't just because of the family's history was it?

The creature strode away and into the now opened gates of the gladiator holding areas where they would wait before being taken back to the lyceum. The sliding of the armor plates made a slithering sound, a sound that makes people fall silent. The warriors of the area gave the monster way, and those who had fought alongside him reached up to give him a pat on the back.

It was just another day for them, another day with the legend.

But for the creature it was a little different, he was expecting something to happen soon. He could feel that something was going to happen.

The creature smirked in its helmet, something exciting was going to happen soon. He wanted to see Aksavit, he missed her.

"Aeleas! Tomorrow is the day, Harlequin is going to come with your……western connections"

Saturno stopped at the sound of the voice of Fortuna, his keeper by arena laws.

It was a good thing he was wearing his helmet. Saturno was smiling like an idiot thinking about Aksavit like he had remembered something that made him bashful.

And with that Saturno bowed lightly to his keeper and went along with the other gladiators of his lyceum to the horsecart and was taken back to the lyceum.

Oh yes, something exciting was going to happen very soon.


	4. A Familiar Stranger

**A Familiar Stranger**

The Avatar and his friends sat quietly in the horse pulled cart watching the landscape of the ancient land of Varajo.

If there was one phrase that could describe it, it would be glorious.

The land was fertile and wild in a way. It had the same, frightening, but stirring charm any good natured varajan had.

The grassy plains stretched out before them to behold. To the east, impossibly high mountains sat majestically, and oddly enough, topped with grass rather than snow.

To the east, grew the great forests, home to all manner of feral creature. And to the north, the great Alpina Mountain ranges, home to the varajan barbarian tribes.

No one, really had anything to say, it was all so breathtaking, there really wasn't anything to say.

If only for a few hours, everyone forgot they were here because of a war. Toph though, couldn't forget who she was going to see.

In her head a hundred different scenarios played out. Almost all of which, he hated her.

Her gaze dropped a bit as she held Sokka's hand.

From what she had been told by Palla and Sofia, after the end of the war, something happened to him.

War and Time indeed were cold, cruel things, given enough of both, and even the indomitable spirit of a young boy who stood against his nation's very way of life in his own way, could be shattered.

But still, Time was also kind, given enough of it, it could mend a shattered spirit and a broken heart.

So, the gang was relatively ok. They were as happy as they could be. But that was because the war for them had ended. For Saturno, it never ended. Within and without, it kept going for Saturno Aeleas Rakanus.

Toph took a deep breath and let it course through her. Feeling the warmth of the sun, and the watery caress of the varajan breeze, she had a very dry, very cold feeling.

She had the feeling, or more likely the thought, that the war wouldn't end with Ara's death.

No, the war's root was buried much deeper than that.

And if she knew Saturno, he wouldn't stop until the world itself bent to his will, and stopped fighting.

She exhaled and frowned.

"Saturno, you idiot, we couldn't defeat the Fire Lord without your help and that itself was a fluke that everything ended the way it did. How could you make **everyone** stop fighting?"

She sighed internally

"You can't"

She smiled a tiny little smile, a smile she used to smile when they were all together, he and they. The shameless conviction of his belief that he could be good, that he could triumph over any adversity or challenge was something to admire.

He had that silent charisma, the belief that he could do anything, even if there was no one helping him. He wavered, but never stopped truly believing in it, right up to the very end, until he decided he could be the monster everyone had made him out to be.

As she remembered the end of the 100 years war, she wondered if this was what she saw from him, or what she felt from his heart.

She couldn't remember. After so long and so much, she knew that half of the things she remembered were imagined to a degree. She glorified Saturno to her own mind, and he ceased to be a boy she knew and cared about, he became an ideal, a symbol, an unreachable goal.

But that letter she was read by Tara. It reminded her that he was desperate when he wrote it, he was sad and had faults and more importantly, limits.

What was the limit of how long he would wait for her?

Would it still be right for him to wait for her if she was with Sokka?

Then again, she **was** with Sokka. And he had no idea of knowing.

What if he was with another girl?

He should be with another girl.

Whatever would happen, whatever had happened, she would find out soon enough. They were going to the lyceum where Saturno was fighting in, and then, she would have to be brave. It was never hard for her, but Saturno always had that effect on her.

_"Toph, whatever you decide…I will wait for you as long as you need. I would do anything for you if only you would ask. I ask in turn, only one thing in return" _

_"I want you to sort through your feelings. It's unfair to ask this of you, to look for an answer for this monumental question at your age but…I….feel as though sometimes you feel the same way about me that I do about you"_

_"That's all, I don't know what else to say, other than I will wait for you as long as you need"_

That's what Saturno had said to her the night after he had returned to them.

Toph couldn't help but ask herself one last time, **the **last time she reaffirmed herself.

Was Saturno that much of an idealist to keep a promise he had made four years ago?

* * *

Armor-less and with only a longsword in its sheathe, Saturno walked up the path by the plains from the Lyceum towards the port town Orintio.

Aksavit was coming today and he wanted to catch her early, it had only been three months but by the Gods he had missed her. She had always been a great help since the end of the 100 years war. By all rights they had earned their rest, but none such existed for the wicked, Aksavit had been digging and her contacts let her known of his mother's plot.

Saturno frowned.

Mother, Mater, Mom.

His mother, someone who had such an important role in his life had ultimately tried to kill him. And if there was one thing clear about Ara and he is that one cannot live while the other survives.

She had to die, or he did, or maybe both.

He sighed and continued walking forward.

His slave garments consisted of gray rags, fashioned into patchwork pants and a sleeveless shirt. It was humble, or less than humble, but it was comfortable however, and walking around on the solid dirt of a well worn path was nice on a cool, autumn day.

Even as he continued onward, he was alert to everything around him, vigilant against attack, as Aksavit taught him, "You are best protected when you are on guard even when you are safe".

He smiled and cooed internally, he was going to see her!

Only a small caravan making its way down a hill pulled him out of his thoughts long enough for him to register it, then to let it go.

His vigil looked for any sort of sound and sharp movements, none of which were present. It was a calm, balmy day near the Epistrean Coast and nothing was going to ruin his day, or so he surmised.

* * *

Toph registered the vibrations of the person who was coming up on the road and focused on them for an instant. She had jumped to think that every varajan was Saturno because his entire ilk had the same purposeful, fast pace.

He heart constricted as it had for every varajan that had passed them on the road, but she pushed it down and sniffed at the breeze.

"Wow, even the breeze in Varajo smells different" she said, everyone nodded in agreement.

She felt a low drag in her stomach.

Toph had caught a hint of something in the air, something she hadn't smelled in any other varajan, no matter how peculiar their magick was.

She detected, Saturno's particular brand of scent.

Not daring to even look at that direction she glued her senses to the rolling plains in front of her.

It was only when the stranger stopped in front of them that everyone stared at him, mouths gaping and in disbelief.

"Hello" said Saturno neutrally and with a casualness that hinted he was not at all surprised they were here. He didn't show any sign that he was displeased, or happy to see them however.

Much like his former companions, the varajan had aged, maturing into a handsome young man with strong features and a sharpness of appearance that commanded attention and with a stub where his nose should be, a remnant of his previous adventures in the West.

The driver of the caravan continued as the four occupants got off without another word.

As the low bustle of the group receded the people were left alone on a breathtaking landscape with an old friend, or something akin to a friend.

Saturno gazed at each westerner carefully, his eyes forbade them to utter a syllable any friendly smiles were snuffed out by the hardness in his eyes and his locked jaw.

"Is this it?" he asked the group, his voice clear and smooth like they remembered, perhaps a bit deeper and lacking the warmth it used to have.

"It's just us" said Sokka holding Toph's hand for security, more for his own peace of mind than anything. Just as he thought it would, the varajan's dead bronze eyes wandered onto his hand holding Toph's. He drank in every bit of body language between the two of them, the way she stood next to him and the way Sokka looked at him. The way all men look at other men who are showing particular interest in the women that accompany them.

His eyes smoothed for a moment in thought, then became wide and focused like a cobra-viper's.

"And Aksavit has told you all what is to happen?"

"Yes"

"Then you know what it entails? You all at some point or another will have to kill men and women" a statement more directed at Aang more than anything.

The young Avatar looked at the varajan with a hint of defiance in his eyes that did not go unnoticed by the gladiator.

Saturno seemed to consider something for an instant before turning on his heel towards the lyceum and marching off.

"Come, its time you all learn what it is to be a gladiator" he called to them.

The group fell into march behind him unable to speak, the degree of alienation between the two groups was too much, they didn't know what to say.

"So, how are you all faring?" asked Saturno as he walked backwards as to face them in an effort to be friendly which surprised all of them.

"Umm, we are ok?" uttered Katara unsure if that was true as she glanced at Toph.

"That's good to hear. Please, what's become of you all, I haven't heard anything in four years" he said with a hint of mock offense in his voice.

"Well its not like you've tried very hard to get a hold of us" said Sokka, glaring at the varajan.

Saturno's eyes wandered up as to look at his forehead in consideration then he spoke again.

"If I am not mistaken I asked Bei Fong to relay my best wishes and questions to all of you in my letters. I assume she didn't bother to even do that?" he said neutrally.

All of them looked at Toph then away at random points which were suddenly very interesting.

Toph winced at how Saturno addressed her. Bei Fong, and in third person, as if she didn't exist.

"Saturno, about that-" started Sokka before the gladiator cut him off.

"Sokka please!" he said in mock surprise.

"Please my dearest companion" he continued "She is an adult, your woman should be able to speak for herself" he finished, the words laced with repressed emotion.

Toph wanted to die. How could she explain to Saturno that by such a simple mistake such as letting her father get the mail their relationship had been destroyed.

"Well?"

"Saturno, I-I" she started

"What did I ever do to anger you so that you ignored me so completely after the war. I needed you so badly" he said, forgetting where they were, forgetting the man that was holding Toph's hand and aging back to the sixteen year old young man that had just murdered his father and killed a city.

Toph felt Saturno, he was just as level headed and patient as he was four years ago. But it was supported by hardness of spirit rather than by warmth of soul.

The words were caught in her throat as they had been on the ship that was carrying them both on the Day of Black Sun.

"I would like to have an answer from you. But if you don't care about any of it then please tell me so I may stop wondering"

"Saturno my father withheld the letters from me until a month ago when we went to see Aksavit" said Toph, strangling her hesitation.

The gladiator half stopped walking and a slight frown came upon his features.

"Bastard" he whispered "So, all of this time it had been your father?"

"Yup" she said biting her cheek, not sure how Saturno would react.

Saturno again blurred away in thought before reemerging.

"Well now I just feel foolish……..and cheated" he said simply glancing at Sokka.

As he turned again and looked at the Lyceum, he began to speak again his tone was quiet like water in a stream.

"You will all be pleased to know that the Freedom Fighters are here to aid us"

Katara smiled half heartedly because of the mood but she was happy to hear that, Aang noticed and wondered if it was because of Jet that she was smirking.

"And also" he added with an as a matter of fact tone.

The two words hung like an incantation as he carefully chose his words.

"We found a great many people over the four years in which the Black Legion crusaded and fought to finish off the Fire Nation. There is only so much a thousand men and women can do in so much time" he said as he marched.

He continued again choosing his words carefully

"And one would be surprised who turns up when one knocks down an internment camp. Tell me Sokka, Katara how long did it take for Haru and your father to show up again?"

Each remembered, for their father to resurface after the war it had taken him eight months to be found and sent home. For Haru it had taken two and a half years. His family had been lost to the Fire Nation, and when he had returned to his village he had found it didn't exist anymore.

"Aksavit sent me many of the people who were linked to us during the war. Haru himself, the Swampbenders, the Freedom Fighters" he droned out

"Sokka" he began, his brow furrowed in a query.

The young man of the Watertribe looked up at the varajan with mistrust.

"Does the name Suki mean anything to you?"


	5. I Know You

**Sorry I've been so off grid for more than a year. The story and its next sequel has been very difficult to define. Any who, my writing has also been kind of bleh (for lack of a better expression) but in the one year I took a break I've improved. Please enjoy and as always here's a cookie. (Defining this book has been hell, hopefully it will be something wonderful for you to read when I am finished).**

**I Know You**

At the mention of the name Suki, Sokka's heart soared in both fear and elation.

Was Saturno serious? Did he hear correctly?

Sokka's suspicions of Saturno dropped, he let go of Toph's hand and lanced towards Saturno latching onto his arm.

"Su-Suki is alive?" asked Sokka, tears brimming in his eyes.

Saturno's face was neutral bordering on innocent in its expression.

"Why yes, she is. Fine girl that and an excellent fighter" he said as if remarking something that was perfectly vernacular and common.

Sokka began crying openly in happiness, something which Saturno smiled at warmly and squeezed his shoulder for.

"I suppose it would be a silly question; would you like to see her? She is always speaking of you, I might be imagining things but I think it's the thought of you that has kept her sane throughout these past four years" he said knowingly as a semblance of warmth returned to his eyes. But the sentence itself and the way he said it bespoke manipulation that lacked subterfuge. Obvious, deliberate manipulation.

Sokka looked back at the group once, his eyes locking with each of them then he turned on his heel and dashed to the Lyceum as fast as his legs could carry him.

Katara and Aang understood, Suki was Sokka's great love in life and he mourned her every day since the end of the Great War. Toph however felt her heart drop.

She was a little stunned, but it was nothing she had not premeditated before.

Her senses locked onto the varajan as he watched their friend run as fast as he could to the Lyceum.

She knew Saturno had played Sokka off to the bit about Suki. She could see straight through him, as collected as he was it irritated him to see Sokka holding her hand. After her boyfriend had run off something inside him soothed and quieted.

Toph couldn't see what Palla and Sofia meant though, they had given them all the impression Saturno was some kind of monstrosity but from what she felt, he wasn't.

She knew that half the things she knew about Saturno, after four years, they had to be imagined.

But if there was one thing that was at the very core of Saturno's being was the desperation to be loved, accepted and wanted.

That is something that any average person wants, but for him it had defined his life. His conscience had put him at odds with his family and ultimately his nation so there were precious few people he could care for and trust. But it was painful, Aksavit had pointed out that there was a clear difference between love between companions and romantic love and the former was not something Saturno needed or much cared for.

But the latter however

If there was one thing that was at the very core of Saturno Sahz, now Aeleas Rakanus it was that he was crazy to fall in love with someone who wouldn't try to kill him.

Katara followed Saturno and the rest to the Lyceum where a disparate group of familiar faces were. The Freedom Fighters, the Swampbenders, Haru and other veterans of the war sparred but stopped as soon as they walked in.

After that it was all smiles, old friends embraced and laughed commenting on the trip to Varajo and how a new war was brewing.

Thrice damned varajans and their wars

Truth be told, making fun of it was the only thing most of these people had to maintain morale, and as of late, as they explained to the gang, it was the best thing they had against what waited for them in the coliseum.

Jet, of endless one liners and flirtatious advances, wasted no time in picking up where he left off with Katara. And the young waterbender couldn't help but blush.

Damn it

Aang, noticed and was quiet for the most part, unwilling to make a move out of nerves or to say anything. Jet was his friend as well as hers, he didn't want any bad blood between them. But he did so sorely want him to stop flirting with the girl he had been dreaming about for so long and had never had the courage to kiss or to ask out or to do anything.

He noticed that the only one who was distant was Toph who said half hearted hellos and seemed drained of her usual bravado. Typical, Saturno had always had that effect on her when things got bad.

The Avatar noted how Saturno leaned against a pillar in the inner courtyard quietly.

He had something that suggested a smirk on his face. But it wasn't happiness, it was like someone basking in the warmth of something hot. It was the kind of expression someone in prison has when someone he or she knows is set free. One is happy for them, and feels a level of elation at their being given freedom again, but at the same time there are bars between them and that and the prisoner in question is well aware of them.

Saturno looked just like that, like he enjoyed what he was looking at but he had forbidden himself to take part of it.

He was paying close attention to Toph though, he was looking at her like a hawk. But as he noticed her drained state his eyes softened somewhat.

Aang could imagine Saturno going over to Toph and embracing her or kissing her. It was, he felt, the way it should have worked out, he was happy for Sokka and Toph although that was in and of itself something in question because of Suki's being alive. But in his mind it was Toph and Saturno who were supposed to be together.

Kind of like how he and Katara-

Aang grimaced at the sour thought and cast it away.

Katara didn't see him that way, Toph and Sokka were together, Saturno was not going to go near Toph and they were going to have to do things Saturno's way if this was to finish well.

He looked down at his feet bitterly

Aang hated the way everything had worked out, everything; his destiny, his love interest, their lives and indeed the way the world had corrected itself.

And even though he would never admit it, even to himself but he hated Saturno for it: all of it.

Aksavit stalked through the halls of the Lyceum. As she came into the inner courtyard everyone quieted down. She smiled at everyone and noted how everything had come together as perfectly as she had meant it to.

Everyone was where they were supposed to be.

Although, she didn't see Sokka about

It didn't matter, Saturno was there and things were wonderful. When she saw him standing near the pillar her heart fluttered, she stalked over to him quietly as to surprise him. As everyone noted her trajectory they averted their eyes knowing what she was going to do.

Everyone continued speaking and half watching the movement. Everyone save Saturno who was looking at Toph with fierce attention.

The varajan couldn't believe how much Toph had grown, she was not a child anymore, she was a woman. A very, very beautiful woman.

He observed every inch of her body as to commit it to memory and update his metal picture.

Her black hair which hung in the most tomboyish Earth Nation fashion but with her characteristic bangs in the way. Her round face looked as distinctive as he had remembered it but its features were more defined. Her lips, by the Gods her lips. Her hands which although were very strong, looked very delicate.

Her chest, stomach, hips and legs, she was a woman that much was certain.

Her feet

At that last thought he smiled openly, then the smile died before it was fully birthed. She was with Sokka, she was not his and he doubted she could ever be. Although he wished her and Sokka both happiness he couldn't help but feel a certain selfishness.

He wanted his friend to stop holding her hand and he wished he would never have the misfortune to see them kiss.

That would kill him

Sokka homed in on Suki like an arrow. He bounded into her, embracing her and she broke into sobs as soon as she realized who it was who was holding her. Without him foreseeing it, Suki grabbed him by the face and pulled him to her in a crushing kiss.

This was seen by the rest of the gang who fell silent. Sokka half heartedly pulled away, then ashamed of himself looked to where Toph stood, who had her expression and the shock in her eyes hidden behind her bangs and remained quiet.

"Suki, I need to explain something"

Toph pulled her mind away from Sokka and silently nursed her bruised heart. She knew she was not his first choice as he was not hers and that he might very well break up with her if the girl from the Kyoshi Islands was alive.

She just didn't expect it to be this fast and as much as she hated to admit it, their relationship was something faux.

Upon "looking around" she became aware she was being watched. She knew Saturno was looking at her, she couldn't tell by his stance or position but she knew his eyes were on her.

She followed Aksavit's gait towards Saturno.

The young woman wondered what his reaction would be at seeing her. Palla and Sofia had told them that the two were involved with each other. How far they had been involved she didn't want to even contemplate.

She could tell Aksavit was beautiful, like drop dead beautiful. She was lean, fit, strong and brilliant. Saturno would be crazy to reject her.

Of course he was with her, so he had some lucidity to him as a guy.

Aksavit clapped both of her hands on Saturno's shoulders and pulled him to her. When his weight was on her and he was off balance she took the chance to kiss him.

Her heart was racing and she felt the thrill racing through her loins, she needed him. But her joy turned to disgust when Saturno pulled away from her ever so slightly even when they had locked eyes.

He leaned off her and stood straight, his expression neutral and impassive.

He knew she knew he knew.

"Why did you just pull away from me?" she asked, her head if ever so slightly ducked down. For her an argument was much like a fight and she was in her stance.

Saturno didn't dare look away from her

But from his position on the pillar Aksavit traced a straight line of sight to Toph.

Aksavit jerked her head to Toph, then back to Saturno, then back to the girl then back again.

Her face, incredulous in its expression came of an inch of Saturno's.

"I thought you were finished with her" she said, a snarl and a whisper.

The courtyard was completely silent and all eyes were on them.

Saturno's eyes were wide in the smallest fashion, the kind not unlike that of a child who has been caught in a lie, but as realizing this they smoothed again to their usual hardness.

"So did I"

Aksavit took one step back, her eyes becoming red with welling tears and her knuckles white and trembling.

"You……love…….her?" choked Aksavit as the words wrenched themselves from her throat.

Saturno looked only at his scorned lover, and without a moment's pause he said "Yes" without defiance or pleasure in his voice.

Eyes widened at the answer, some looked away expecting there to be blood within the next second and only Toph's eyes shut in pain.

After four years, Saturno still hadn't gotten over her.

Aksavit's lips pulled back in a snarl and she spun on her heel and ran away, Saturno knew what was coming. Some poor section of land was going to be completely devastated within the next couple of hours.

After she left, he slumped against his pillar. He glanced only marginally at Sokka, then turning his head and opening his eyes he gave him a look.

"I'm so sorry" was the only meaning translated through his eyes.

Sokka caught his meaning and nodded at him. He was in no way a saint in any of this, he had his own heart troubles to deal with. And big they were.

Feeling as though they were all children again, the group picked off where it left off. Things were as they had been.

Aang was ever wandering what he should say to Katara.

Katara was concerned with Saturno's advances on Toph and was unsure what to make of him yet again.

Sokka looked at Saturno as his old, old friend, both of them on the same boat now.

Toph regarded Saturno with her senses rifling through his reactions, tone of voice and general vibe. She could see into him intimately before, but now it was more difficult. She couldn't believe what she had just heard him say so clearly. She could feel her heart flicker like a candle being put up against a gale of wind, she was not sure what to feel at all. Old thoughts, doubts and considerations that had been put to rest only recently and some years ago were resurrected.

Saturno, ever the outsider with conflict between his conscience; his duty and his love interest . He stood on what was his own island of thought. It didn't matter if it was an ocean between them or nothing but an inch of space on Appa's saddle. He was alone, he had always been alone.

And he had spurned a woman who adored him in favor of someone who was unsure, or unavailable or perhaps just plain feeling guilty or not interested.

Toph was the only thing that had kept him sane when he was being tortured and had had his nose cut off four years ago. And it was certainly the only thing keeping him sane now.

He was completely aware of it, and as if knowing something as logical that if one puts enough pressure on bone it will snap, he knew that losing her completely would do something terrible to him.

There is more than one way to die from grief, anger or loss and Saturno knew it.


End file.
